GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (WBAY) – Advocates say there aren’t enough women in tech in our area. One organization is fighting to get girls and women opportunities to explore the industry.

Women in Technology of Wisconsin is hosting an event this week at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute.

The percentage of women computer scientists dropped more than 10% between the 1990s and now. That’s according to a report from Girls Who Code.

The report says women hold less than a quarter of all computer jobs, and the number keeps shrinking the higher you look up the ladder. Just 5% of women hold leadership positions in the industry.

That’s why Women in Technology (WIT)-Wisconsin puts together events to inspire future tech leaders. Friday’s event is tackling cybersecurity and talking about governments staying ahead of cyber-attacks and new approaches to cyber-challenges.

WIT@Work Board Member Aslinn Merriman says everyone is welcome.

“The diversification of having everybody at the table will help us get to the ultimate goal of advocating for women in rooms that maybe they’re not in,” Merriman said.

Guest speaker Teri Takai is flying in. Her name might sound familiar in the tech world. She served as chief information officer for the U.S. Department of Defense and the State of Michigan.

“Having her expertise, I’m really excited to hear two-fold how cybersecurity is looking at tackling things like generative AI — how do you know if a picture is authentic, and how do you know if that voice that person is hearing is authentic?” Merriman said.

If you’re interested in attending Friday morning, you can register on the Women in Technology-Wisconsin website.

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